On Wednesday, Iran announced minor changes to its nuclear program. These
changes amount to withdrawing from voluntary limits on low-enriched
uranium storage and heavy water storage, and both of which were
explicitly allowed under the P5+1 deal if one of the nations withdrew
from it.
The US withdrew from the deal last year, making all this legal, but US
officials are still trying to spin it as violations or provocations. The
three EU nations that are party to the nuclear deal, however, insist they intend to remain within the deal as long as Iran does.
Iranian officials expressed open annoyance at the EU’s inability to
deliver on promises to keep trade going irrespective of US threats. Iran
has warned that if something isn’t done to make up for the US
dishonoring the pact, they’ll increase the purity of uranium enrichment, another thing they are legally allowed to do.
Either way, the EU tried to facilitate trade with Iran by creating a special legal mechanism to circumvent US sanctions. The US has issued a statement today warning that no one in Europe, especially banks, should try to use this legal mechanism, saying it would be a “very poor business decision” to defy US demands.
European Nations Will Remain in Iran Nuclear Deal, Despite US Threats
US warns EU banks against using legal trade mechanism
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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